The present invention relates to an explosive charge which is provided with a metal facing or liner for the formation of an essentially rod-shaped projectile by detonative conversion.
In connection with projectile forming explosive charge facings, a distinction must be made between those in which a projectile is formed from the facing during a detonative conversion or explosive forming process, and those in which the projectiles are already in existence in the facing, for example as rods which are arranged in a meander shape and whose ends are welded together. A significant feature of explosive charges provided with such facings is that the target effectiveness of the resulting projectile is assured over a much greater distance between target and point of detonation than corresponds to the customary effective range of a pointed cone hollow or shaped charge. While the rods provided in the facing move toward the target in a direction transverse to their respective longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of a projectile formed by detonative conversion lies essentially in its direction of movement. In the latter case, it is desired to realize a ratio of projectile length 1 to projectile diameter d which is advantageous for flight and effective at the target.
With respect to the above-mentioned large distances, the stabilization of the flight path of such a projectile is of special significance since its target effectiveness, which is directed specifically toward penetration, depends essentially on the best possible utilization of the 1/d ratio, which is preferably large, at the moment of impact. Consequently, the projectiles likewise have a rod shape. X-ray flash photographs during tests indicate that such a projectile having a desirable 1/d ratio yaws on its path of flight, and consequently there exists the danger that the longitudinal axis of the projectile encloses an undesirably large angle with the path of flight at the moment when the projectile hits the target.